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New FAA Training Standards?

byCorbit Harrison | 11.11.2013

The Society of Aviation Flight Educators (SAFE) has lobbied the FAA to begin collecting data on pilot safety training (in addition to the information it already collects). The request came out of a recent meeting among industry and government leaders. Although it’s unclear if the recommendations will be acted upon, it is an issue in which the general aviation community is interested.

Why the push for more data?

The suggestion was in part inspired bySAFE involvement in a Loss of Control work group. As first reported by General Aviation News, loss of control accidents are almost always considered pilot error, but currently there’s very little information about the recurrent training of those pilots. More information on pilot training history could help identify risk factors and trends as to why these types of accidents happen.

What may be collected?

At this point, the SAFE recommendation is just that – a recommendation. Nothing is set in stone as far as the terms of monitoring or collecting. However, the organization does suggest that a recent pilot history include what type of aircraft were flown and for how long, as well as the type of training received. The increased data collection would also be a natural add-on to the FAA’s new WINGS program promoting ongoing flight training.

What could this mean to your aviation organization?

Although there’s bound to be discussion about the merits of the FAA collecting more data, there’s a strong chance that the SAFE recommendation may come to fruition. Many in the general aviation community may be concerned about an added burden of more documentation and paperwork.

Luckily, aviation management software, such as SkyManager, can help keep track of these training records. Everything from flight logs to rosters, scheduling, dispatching, and class syllabus are managed within the platform. Integration with flight training software makes SkyManager a powerful tool for your organization. Click here to take a tour of SkyManager’s features.

Time will tell how the SAFE request develops. Meanwhile, it might be wise for the general aviation community to explore options in case there is a mandate. You may be surprised at some of the options available.